Gillian Vine finds an Australian shrub gives subtle winter colour.
The label on "Marion’s Marvel" says "Australian beauty" but she’s a rather shy charmer, having more delicate flowers than, say, Australia’s banksias or Gymea lilies.
The main attractions of Correa are that they flower in winter and the blooms bring honey-eating birds. In addition, because most are found in the cooler eastern states, often close to the coast, correas resist sale spray so grow well in seaside gardens.
There are 11 species of Correa, all native to Australia (including Tasmania) and endemic, meaning they are found naturally nowhere else. C. reflexa and C. pulchella — and their cultivars — are most commonly seen in gardens, although "Marion’s Marvel" is a popular variety from South Australia’s C. decumbens.
Selected forms found in the wild have been named and added to nursery offerings. One of these is the pale lime C. reflexa "Granny’s Grave", found in Warmambool, Victoria. The name comes from the place nearby where Agnes Ruttleton was buried in 1848.
Commonly known as Australian fuchsias, the plants range from sprawling ground covers growing about 30cm-50cm to medium-sized shrubs, the mountain correa (C. lawrenceana) being the tallest at up to 3m. C. reflexa usually gets to 1m but has been recorded occasionally at 2m-3m.
Foliage varies, too, with matte little ovoid leaves in the likes of "Limelight", Correa reflexa var. nummulariifolia’s dusting of tiny hairs and the shiny forest green of "Marion’s Marvel". A standout is variegated "Wyn’s Wonder", whose olive-green leaves are edged with creamy white.
In the garden, prostrate correas can be used as ground covers, while larger species and cultivars can stand alone in containers or open ground, and make attractive small hedges. Flowering mainly in winter and spring, they provide food for birds when other honey sources are limited.
Most are hardy to about minus 6°C, so may not be the best option in areas prone to hard frosts, although container-grown correas could survive if covered in winter.
They grow in full sun or semi-shade and must have really good drainage and a slightly alkaline soil, so add lime if necessary. Once established, correas are drought resistant.
The Australian Native Plants Society says that, in common with most members of the Rutaceae family, "propagation of [correas] from seed is difficult but cuttings usually strike readily from current season’s growth. Propagation from cuttings is mandatory to maintain selected forms and cultivars."
Correas may not be your first stop in a garden centre but are well worth considering.
